Coil handling crane



Sept. 17,1963 R. J. HARRY 3,104,016

I con. HANDLING CRANE Filed Dec. 1 1957 Robert J. Hurry United StatesPatent 3,104,016 CGIL HANDLING CRANE Robert .1. Harry, Alliance, Ohio,assignor to The Alliance Machine Company, a corporation of Ohio FiledDec. 16, 1957, Ser. No. 702,848 1 Claim. (Cl. 212-129) This inventionrelates to coil handling cranes and particularly to a crane structurefor handling coils of varying heights without injuring the surface ofthe coil so as to place them for storage at any desired level. There hasfor a long time been a need for a coil handling mechanism forpositioning, handling and transferring metal coils from one location toanother in the mill as well as in the warehouse. It has been thepractice to provide conveyor lines and the like for moving the coilsfrom one location to another. No satisfactory means has, however, beenavailable for storing these coils, particularly at multiple heights. Theproblem of handling metal coils is accentuated by the fact that coilsmay be stored with their axis vertically or horizontally, or may bereceived on a transfer conveyor with the axis either vertically orhorizontally.

I provide a coil handling mechanism structure capable of overcoming theproblems outlined above. The coil carrying crane of the presentinvention will satisfactorily pick up and store coils with their axes inany desired direction without injury to the coil. Moreover, thestructure of this invention eliminates the need for aisleways orroadways in which lift trucks might operate and thereby makes moreeconomic use of available floor space.

Preferably, I provide a track supported above an area where the coilhandling is to take place, movable bridge means traversable along thetrack over said area, carrier means on the bridge means movable thereontransversely to the track, hoisting means on the carrier means, framemeans depending from the hoisting means and movable in a verticaldirection thereby on guideways on the carrier means, verticallyextensible means rotatably mounted in the frame means for rotationthrough 360, means on the carrier acting on the frame means to rotatesaid frame means and extensible means, spaced jaws rotatable about acommon axis on the end of the extensible means, one of said jaws beingadapted to enter the eye of a coil whereby the coil is engaged betweenthe jaws, means acting on the jaws to bring them together tofrictionally engage the coil between them and means for rotating thejaws in use about their common axis. Preferably, the jaws are mounted onthe bottom of the extensible means on a common axis. An hydraulic pistonis fixed in the extensible means acting on the jaws to rotate them inunison about said common axis. A second hydraulic means is provided onthe jaws acting thereon to bring them together to bear on the coiledwall.

I have set out certain objects, advantages and purposes of thisinvention in the foregoing general description. Other objects, purposesand advantages will be apparent from a consideration 'of the followingdescription and the accompanying drawings in which,

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a coil handling crane according to theinvention with the jaws engaging a coil whose axis is in the horizontalposition; and

FIGURE 2 is an end elevation of the coil handling crane of FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawings, I have illustrated a traveling bridge mountedon rails 11 on opposite sides of the coil handling area. A trolley 12 ismounted on wheels 13 which engage rails 13a on the birdge 110 for travelthereon transverse to rails 11. The trolley 12 carries a frame 14depending therefrom and mounted in a rotating ring 15. The ring 15 ismounted on rollers 15a and is rotatable on trolley 12 by means of amotor 16 driving ring gear 151) through spur gear 16a. A telescopingextensible column 17 is mounted on wheels 17a which are adapted to nunbetween vertical guide rails 18 in frame 14 and is vertically movabletherein by means of hoisting cables 19. The cables 19 pass from a drum21 around sheaves 20* in the extensible column 17 and sheaves 2042 onthe frame 14 in multiplying relationship. The cables are then passedover an equalizing idler pulley 20b and over sheaves 20 and 20a and backto drum 21. Drum 21 is driven by a motor on the frame 14. This permitsthe member 17 to telescope into and out of the frame 14.

A jaw 22 is pivoted on a shaft 23 at the bottom of the extensiblecolumn. An hydraulic piston 24 is connected to the jaw 22 at a pointspaced from the axis 23 so that extension of the piston '24 out of acylinder 25 fixed to the extensible means -17 causes the jaw 22 to totate about axis 23. A second jaw 26 is pivoted about a shaft 27 in jaw22. The jaw 26 is provided with a bell crank arm 28. An hydraulic piston29 actuated by cylinder 30 fixed to jaw 22 rotates the jaw 26 about itsaxis 27 spaced from axis 23 of jaw 22.

In operation, the hydraulic cylinder 25 is actuated to rotate jaw 22 andits accompanying parts to position in line with the outside of the coil32 to be picked up. Cylinder 30 is actuated to open jaw 26 to a positionwhere it will enter the eye 33 of the coil 32. The extensible column 17is then moved by moving the trolley to bring the jaw 26 within the coileye 33. Cylinder 30 is then actuated to close jaw 26 against the coiland to bring it into frictional engagement between jaw 26 and jaw 22.The extensible column 17 is then moved in the vertical direction toraise or lower the coil as the case may be. Cylinder 25 may be actuatedto carry the axis of the coil from a horizontal to a vertical plane orvice versa. The horizontal position of the coil eye may be rotatedthrough 360 by rotation of the ring 15 on carrier 12. A platform 34 ismounted on the extensible column 17 adjacent the jaw 22. The platform 34provides a convenient location for the operator and for the operatingcontrols which are of conventional design.

It is evident from the foregoing description that the coil handlingcrane of this invention provides extreme flexibility for handling andpositioning coils in any area. It may be used to pick up coils in anyposition and to store them in any position. It may also be used to storecoils at any desired height beneath the traveling bridge. The greatflexibility of the present invention eliminates all the problems whichhave heretofore characterized the coil handling art and provides theutmost in flexibility while providing a device which will not damage thecoil edges or surfaces.

While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has beenillustrated and described herein, it will be understood that thisinvention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the followingclaim.

I claim:

A coil handling mechanism comprising a track supported above a coilhandling area, movable bridge means movable on said track over saidarea, carrier means on said bridge means movable thereon transversely tothe track, frame means depending from the carrier means and rotatabletherein through 360, vertically extensible means mounted in the framemeans for vertical movement therein, drive means on one of the frame andcarrier mean-s rotating the frame means, a pair of jaws rotatable abouta common shafit at the end of the extensible means, one of said jawsbeing adapted to enter a coil eye to be lifted, a hydraulic cylindermounted in the other of said jaws, a piston in said hydraulic cylinder,a bell crank arm on said one piston engageable with the piston to beactuated for movement toward the other jaw, a second hydraulic cylinderon the extensible means, a piston in said second hydraulic meansoperatively connected to the said other jaw whereby to move said jawabout its axis thereby carrying said one jaw and the coil selectivelybetween a horizontal and a vertical position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSWellrnan Oct. 23, 1900 Kendall Aug. 7, 1917 Bn'tton Dec. 6, 1955 SmithJan. 24, 1956 Ulinski Dec. 24, 1957 Kendall Jan. 28, 1958

